Wuhan

I lived in Wuhan for three years, which some might say was arguably three years too long.

The good news, though, is that it isn't all bad.

Wuhan is a big city and, of course, the capital of Hubei Province.  It was formed out of three separate cities - Hankou (modern, CBD style area), Wuchang (universities) and Hanyang (industry).

First things first, Wuhan is NOT a particularly pretty place to look at.  To say the least.  It's a vast, Mega City Four style sprawl which would have many people running back to the airport quicker than you can say "Fan qie chao jidan".

It has relatively little open space or parks, the only park of note being Zhongshan park, and even that is nothing to write home about, although then again I come from London which, if nothing else, has some of the best parks on the planet.

Wuhan's food is pretty good though.  First up are the ubiquitous 're gan mian' which you will find on practically every street corner, first-rate noodles made with zhi ma jiang (sesame seed sauce/chinese tahini).  They are an absolute snip at 1.5 RMB, and constitute, in my humble opinion, possibly the greatest meal you could have anywhere in the world for 10p.  Wuhan also has very very very good hot pot restaurants.  I don't really need to recommend a particular one, as all of the ones I attended were very good indeed, compared to the mediocre ones here in Dalian.

Generally, there's plenty of good sichuan and hunan food available in Wuhan, so if you like it hot, you're in the right place!

Next up, Wuhan's expat/social scene is small but actually quite decent.

The main bar is the Blue Sky Cafe, which is always good on a Friday/Saturday night and you get all kinds of genres of people in there, from the groovy-funky engineer-expat types to ESLers.  I also heard that the VOX bar is excellent, but when that had opened, it was post-baby so I never got round to going.

In Hankou centre there's also an excellent Warner Brothers cinema which shows new releases in English, with Chinese subtitles, which is nice.  The standard is as good as or better than a western cinema, tickets 40 RMB.

The main 'get away from it all' place is East Lake (although even that is only mildly get-away-from-it-allish).  Quite pleasant in the summer to head down there and rent a boat and paddle out into the lake.  There's also a weird island in the centre of the lake with camels and rope bridges and huts which cheating couples can rent out for two hours to bonk in.

Taxis are pretty cheap in Wuhan; they start at 3 RMB.  The buses are 1.2 RMB and are only worth getting if you're really trying to save/have a chinese wife who wants to save every penny ever ( ) as they are like rickety old sardine cans.

"Walking Street" in the centre (near that aforementioned cinema) is pretty impressive, it resembles, pretty much, the sort of pedestrianised shopping area you would find in any western city. 

There's also a very good Thai restarant on Walking Street, Golden Elephant.

Many people come to Wuhan to study Chinese - the Universities around the East Lake area have heaps of foreigners studying the language, and it's known as one of the best places for this.

I would also have to recommend a restaurant called the Greenery, it's just off Hong Shan square in Wuchang and it has quite reasonable western food for quite low prices.

If you're after nature, I would definitely NOT recommend Wuhan - you will find it like hell.  But if you want a big quite exciting city, then I probably would.

Forgot to mention the weather 

time for class - will come back to do this.

Primo stuff so far.
I love great posting...

Nevertheless, I'm saving some info from a former person here:
I'm in Wuhan right now, and loving every second of my weekend and not too happy about going home this afternoon!

Anyways, CD did give a great descriptions of Wuhan.  To many foreigners Wuhan is a place for people to get together from surrounding cities and the rest of Hubei.  I come in at least once a month to visit and party (and yes to shop too). 

Shopping- There are a few Walmarts in town, Wuchang's Shopping Mall is one to note here.  This place has pretty much everything in it.  Amazing restaurants, arcade style places, Walmat, WAtsons, western theatre, KTV's, and stores to shop in.
Metro is down the road.  There are a few Carefours speckled throughout the city as well.  Just be careful with them.  I saw a huge rat in September and haven't been back since. 

Night Life-  Blue Skies is a pretty cool place.  They have a decent apple pie and they can supply you with cranberry juice.  I prefer Queens, just opened in June.  The staff are great and fun, I've found the music a little fresher than some of the other bars I've been in (the bathrooms are cleaned almost every three people, and the sink where you wash your hands is really something interesting to see).  Hongqipiaopiao (Blues section) is pretty decent scene, no dance floor but patrons are allowed up on the stage to dance with the monster dancers.  Mum's is also a pretty decent place to visit, just be weary of the bathrooms. 

As CD said there is a walking street, cool things for out of towners or something cool for people.  There's a pretty great Brazilian BBQ (all the BBQ meat you can eat plus a buffet plus one bottle of Tsingdao beer for 69kuai).  They've moved from the mall to across the street.  There is also a Watson's, Converse store, and then my favourite the Night Market.  Its huge!  Its got everything to everything here.  Knock off's, pirates, nails, pictres, nick knacks, make-up and the list goes on.  A great place to practice your Chinese numbers (where I learned) and haggaling skills.  Side note, be VERY careful of your purse, and money.  Due to the over crowding pick pockets are everywhere and so are counterfit money.  Check all your coinage carefully.  The first price they give you is always too high.  If you are interested in something stand back and listen to the exchange between the person in front of you so you are not cheated. 

Schools- schools here are like everywhere else.  Lots of good things and lots of horrible things.  5500-6000 is a decent starting salary only if the school is paying for the apartment.  I've worked for a few of the training centres here and they've all tried to cheat me, just some more than others.  If you are looking for extra money, many of the training schools will have you work for them part time, but be sure to get your schools permission first or have it in your contract.  There are many students who want private lessons as well and most foreigners I know charge from 100 to 200 depending on their level.

Restaurants- mentioned a few up top, but someothers that I need to mention.  Giano's is my favourite I think.  Currently eating there lemon chiken breast sandwich with a tad of HP sauce and wow.  They are an Italian Deli with lots of sandwiches, pizza's and some other things like wings and fries.  They deleiver which is nice.  Street food- the veggies on a stick- just send me to heaven.  Regan mien is nice, but not my favourite.  If you have tried it and don't like it (the brown sauce I mean) you can tell them not to add it.  I usually just have them make me a noddle salad and off I go.  I prefer lian mein in the summer, which is cold noodles with a loadof vinegar, veggies, garlic and onions.  Best breakfast in the world and perfect for the heat. 

Weather.  Its the third hottest city in China.  I find it not so bad.  Its hot, but there are ways to work with the heat.  Don't wear skin tight clothes! wear a size or two too big clothes and you'll feel better.  Cottons work wonders in the summer.  There are some days when its really dry and not humid and those days you need a jacket over the summer.  Its the humidity that is the killer.  You can't move without sweating, and you sweat just by breathing.  The guidebooks tell people that it doesn't get that cold in the winter as the temps don't drop too much below zero.  Crock of  !!!!  Its bloody cold here in the winter.  Its a very bone chilling wet cold that takes forever to leave.  Wear a woolen sweater or something with a wind breaker or a pleather coat over top.  Will make you feel warmer than those big down jackets that many people wear if you don;t want to wear them.  Over this past summer, unless it was raining there was no overcast days.  The sun was out from 5:45 and went down around 7.  In the past, I always claimed Wuhan was dirty and smelly and just gross.  They have really cleaned up.  Hankou is still on the dirty side, but Wuchang has really cleaned up its streets. 

The People- I have found that the Wuhan people are fiercely proud of their city.  More than most other people in other cities.  They know the faults of their city, and they are trying to make their city better.  The people are generally easy going, laid back, and fun.  I haven't met a Wuhan-ren yet that I didn't like! They are hard working, and its easy to get lost in a crowd on your way to work.  You hardly get tisked or stared at here in Wuhan.  It does happen but near as often as in the smaller towns. 

Commuting- They've got a very confusing bus system that does work.  Taxis and cars for rent.  If you are needing a taxi between 720 to 945 be sure to be at the street early as there are thousands of people who want that taxi.  Lunch time and dinner time the same thing.  Give yourself ample travel time.  There are many long distance bus stations scattered through the city.  There are the big train stations as well. 

I lived in Hubei for a year and would spend most of my weekends in Wuhan, IMO, CD has given a very accurate overview of the city.  I love Wuhan.  I made some great friends there and are still friends 5 years later.
I remember the Blue Sky Cafe and a Cantonese restaurant next door or thereabouts that had great meat pies.
The hundred year old church that was a punk rock venue and English corners were the best. 
Drinking beers with English corner participants on the banks of the Yangste in the evenings and talking about such a range of topics without me having to prompt them.
The summers are dam hot though.  I had one student started crying from heat distress in class. 

I would also recommend a shop called Breakthrough.  YOu can find this on Walking Street at the junction with the other main road (I can't remember the name, but it's where Walmart et al are).  Anyway the shop is on one of those raised bridge/roundabout things that pedestrians use to cross busy roads.  It has pretty good quality LARGE SIZED -- big enough for me and I'm a giant (well in chinese terms, in Philadelphia I would probably be short and anaemic, but there you go) (6 ft 2 and 16 odd stone).

There's also a shop in Wuchang which has large size shoes (I'm a US 13).  I got several pairs that fit me from there, good quality and good prices - 260 RMB for some decent boots (Cat style), and 280 RMB for one pair of good coral shoes and one pair of 'smart shoes' (140 RMB each).

I am useless at names though so will write directions later. 

This shoe shop isn't far from the yellow crane tower.  The best way to describe it is that if you are coming over that Bridge from Hankou, you go past the tower and then stay on the right hand side of the road, it goes past a big quite impressive cinema-type place, and then curves round to the right, you'll go past a big restaurant called Mr Xie's (not bad food) and then the shoe shop is just past there.

It was a real godsend, I tell you, it's a nightmare finding large shoes in China.

Re. the winter. I found that it didn't get that cold.  It's 'only' about the same as London in the winter.  But what makes it crap is that many places in Wuhan, precisely because it's just the right side of cold, don't have heating, including the classrooms and, often, the teachers' office.  My old school tried to make everyone stay in the office all day even when it was freezing.  The eventual result?  Mass teacher exodus.